


An Unexpected Visit

by LadyAriadna



Series: Towards Infinity [7]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Family, Friendship, Gen, Iron Dad, Not Beta Read, Team Cap friendly, mentor-mentee relationship, spiderson, toeing the line towards AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-12
Updated: 2018-09-12
Packaged: 2019-07-11 10:47:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15970766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyAriadna/pseuds/LadyAriadna
Summary: A surprise visit may become the road to forgiving for Tony Stark.





	An Unexpected Visit

**Author's Note:**

> I recommend that you read the previous stories in this series to prevent confusion, most especially [The Spidey Training Montage](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15902256).

It was two-thirty in the afternoon, just fifteen minutes away until school would end and for Peter’s patrol to start. Tony was in his office at the Avengers compound as he looked out of the floor-length windows. His sight roamed from the green woods to the waters while his mind wandered and thought of the events of the past two years.

He spent most of his time in the compound to upgrade the Mark L and 17A. All the possible upgrades he could think of, he would add to them. He couldn’t afford to be distracted, he thought. He’d spent too much time fixing the Accords. It was time to look forward. A real threat would come and he needed to be prepared.

One of the upgrades both mentor and mentee worked on was the web shooters that currently laid finished on Tony’s table, ready to be delivered and used. This pair would be easier and faster to put on. Peter would love it! _Time to bring this to the kid._

“Boss, there’s someone here to see you.” Friday’s voice cut through his thoughts.

“Tell them to come back tomorrow. I’m busy.”

“I won’t take too much of your time, Tony.” The voice made him freeze. It had been a long time since he heard that voice. The last conversation they had didn’t go well.

“I didn’t know we employed Natalie Rushman here in the compound.” Tony turned around to face his guest. Tony never thought he’ll ever see Natasha Romanoff in blonde hair but when he did, he figured the color suited her.

“It’s Laura Matthers now.” Nat gave him a small smile then looked at him with concern. “How are you Tony?”

“Awesome.” He shrugged.

“Really?” Tony sighed at her expected disbelief. He walked closer to Nat. 

“What do you think?” He asked but only received silence. “What do you want, Nat?”

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry.” That caught Tony off guard. “I shouldn’t have let Steve and Barnes go without talking to you first.”

“Well, you got it right. We did play it wrong.” He walked towards the couch, sighed and sat heavily. “I’m sorry, for what I said, that double agent DNA thing.”

“It’s okay. We were both at our lowest that day,” she followed then sat beside him, “and I know what happened to Rhodey was a huge blow. I should’ve been more patient.”

“You just wanted to make sure things don’t escalate. I understand that now.”

“We both screwed up hard, huh?”

“Yup.” Tony huffed a self-deprecating laugh. 

“How’s Rhodey?”

“Aside from the prosthetics, he’s back to normal. Thanks for asking.” A ghost of a smile was on his face. He remembered the time he was so scared for his brother. He never wanted that to happen again to anyone in his family. “Were there any close calls with Ross?”

“No, thanks for diverting his attention.”

“Don’t worry about it. I love being a pain in his ass.” Nat smirked at that. They fell silent. Though it had been a while since they spent time together, it didn’t feel awkward at all. They were just two weary comrades who needed the companionship.

“Tony,” she reached out and firmly placed her hand on his shoulder, “just call Steve.” Tony huffed at that.

“Our falling out isn’t related to the Accords. It’s… It will take some time, Nat.”

“It’s been almost two years… Isn’t that long enough?” Tony didn’t reply and she may have thought the silence was an answer in itself because she sighed. “You’re both stubborn. Every time I told him it’s better to let you know of our activities or progress, he would make an excuse not to call you.”

“Like I said Nat, it will take time.” Nat seemed to recognize that she won’t get more than that.

“Okay then. But you do know we’re just a call away, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.” She nodded then stood to leave. “Tony, remember, you’re not the only one who wants a family.”

“I know that now.” Tony smiled. “You guys watch your backs. Oh and, take care of the kids.”

“If you meant Wanda and Vision, yeah. That goes without saying. You take care of your kid too.”

“That goes without saying.” Tony smirked.

“Until next time then.” Nat smiled. She was about to walk out of the office when she suddenly stopped. “By the way, I saw that Black Widow Roomba. You’ve been busy.” She smirked as Tony chuckled.

“I didn’t build it.”

“Well, tell them I like it.”

“You can tell him yourself.” He smiled.

\---

“Okay, next question.” Karen’s soft voice always soothed Peter. “The first scientist to apply scientific reasoning to cosmology was Rene Descartes. What was his theory called?”

“Vortex Theory.”

“Correct! Next, in which regions of the spectrum, the Paschen series lies?”

“In ultraviolet and infrared.” Peter reviewed as he sat at the rooftop of an abandoned building in Queens. It was already dark out and there weren’t much that went on that day. Karen suggested a Physics review to keep him at the top of his game for decathlon and to pass the time. 

“Good job, Peter!”

“Thanks!” He grinned.

“Okay, how about this one?” Karen continued. “What happens when the height of a body from the ground is doubled?”

“Potential energy-” Peter was cut off when his spidey sense blared in his head. He heard a loud noise and he dodged something in the nick of time. “Karen, what was that?!”

“Someone tried to shoot you. There!” Karen displayed a heat signature at Peter’s right, and it was closing in. His attacker was female dressed in a catsuit. She had blonde bobbed hair and wore a white featureless mask. Peter jumped up and tried to web up his attacker but she expertly dodged. 

“Whoa! Hey, lady! Nice to meet you too!” Peter parried a kick aimed at his left flank. “Whatever it is, I swear I didn’t do it.” He jumped up at a rusty water tank. “Can’t we just calmly talk about this?” All the answer he received was a gun aimed at his head. “Hey, you’ll hurt people with that! People like me!”

He dodged the bullet by jumping off the tank. At the same time, he webbed the gun in hopes of pulling it off the catsuit lady but she held on tight that Peter had no choice but to kick her wrist. She let the gun go then he yanked and webbed it on the rusty tank. Peter hoped that would be the end of it but he was wrong.

Despite the loss of her gun, the catsuit lady charged at him with a drop kick. Peter webbed the floor to prevent him from skidding too far off the rooftop. 

“Last chance, ma’am.” The lady took a basic fighting stance, right foot back, left foot forward, knees slightly bent, left hand raised and her right arm tucked on her side. The message was clear: Come at me! “You’re not gonna stop, huh? Alright, time to get serious.”

Peter jumped and let the tension of the webs pull him forward. He sent a drop kick of his own towards the lady but she blocked it with her arms crossed. She skidded backward as Peter backflipped. When he landed, he followed it a high jump. He webbed the floor so he could pull and have more force to his kick. Unfortunately, she dodged and used his momentum to slam him on the ground. Then, she held him down with a right knee on his abdomen and, with surprising strength, she held his right wrist with her left hand.

“You’re a kicker, huh?” She said before she slammed her right wrist on his web shooter. Peter felt a twinge of electrical charge and he heard the confirmation he dreaded from Karen.

“Right web shooter was disabled.” Peter was left stunned.

“One to go.” Peter could hear the smug tone from her. Wait…

“Who are you?” He asked. “Was that Widow’s Bite?”

“Fight me and find out.” She let him go and took a fighting stance.

“Karen,” Peter stood, “was it just me or her moves are familiar?”

“Those moves are almost the same as Black Widow’s. Want me to analyze for you?”

“Yeah, let’s do this.” Catsuit lady didn’t give him time to think of a strategy. She charged at him with punches and kicks while he evaded and blocked. When he thought to use his remaining web shooter to swing away and back to kick her, she was one step ahead. She backhanded his left wrist with her left wrist to disable his last functional web shooter with an electrical charge. She then grabbed the back of his head with her right hand and used a scissor move; her right leg on his lower abdomen and her left leg behind his thighs. She twisted clockwise and forced his body to slam on the ground as his legs splayed out.

“That’s called a Sambo Scissor Takedown. You should take notes.” She said. She then rolled away from him, ready to attack once more. “No more webs for you. What are you going to do now, little spider?”

“Peter, I’m 88% sure that is Natasha Romanoff.” Karen reported. 

“Why is she here? Why is she attacking me? Is she after Mr. Stark?”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know Peter.” 

“It’s okay, I’m just thinking out loud.” Peter stood and took a boxing stance. “Let’s get that remaining 12% by removing that mask.” He charged with a right cross jab that was easily dodged by his opponent but that was only a distraction. He reached out with his left hand but before he can reach the mask, the woman backed off and, within milliseconds, was ready to attack again.

“Good strategy. But that’s not enough.” She reeled in and threw a right hand jab but Peter was ready. He quickly grabbed her right hand with his left and was about to use a right hand palm strike but again, he was thwarted. She slapped his arm away, bent low and with a piston-like force of her legs, she used the back of her arms to push against his chest that forced him to back off a few steps.

“Good Wing Chun technique but that’s not your style, kid. You do you. You’re a kicker so try Taekwondo or, if you want something flashier and more unpredictable, Capoeira” She went back to her fighting stance while Peter massaged his throbbing chest.

 _A famous man once said, ‘you do you’._ Mr. Stark said that once. In his mind, everything clicked into place. He chuckled.

“This is a Pop Quiz, isn’t it?” Peter smiled at the woman in front of her. She removed her mask and the smirking face of Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, was revealed.

“Your old man called it Pop Quiz. I call it Trial by Fire.” She threw the mask away then renewed her attacks. Peter dodged and rolled away. He blocked and kicked but all the while, there was only one thought that ran in his head: _OH MY GOD!!! I’m sparring with THE Black Widow!!! This is so freaking awesome!!!_

“Is that all you got? You’re smart. Think of a strategy.” Ms. Romanoff said as she sent a side kick towards his left flank. He blocked the kick with his right hand, turned a hundred and eighty degrees counterclockwise then, with his left leg, he kicked her upper abdomen with his heel. Ms. Romanoff was knocked back.

“I-I’m so sorry, Ms. Black Widow, ma’am. Are you-” He was cut short when Black Widow ran and leapt towards him. She caught his neck between her calves, she twisted, let her body fall to the ground and took him down with her. Peter had begun to hate getting too acquainted with the hard floor.

“You’re too polite. And just call me Nat.” She said as she let him go and rolled away from him. “Good job using Taekwondo. That was a good Rear Horse Kick.”

“Uumm… Thanks, Ms Romanoff.” He was still too stunned to stand.

“Tony taught you the basics but you need a master to teach you.” She held out her hand for Peter to take. “I recommend getting a Capoeira teacher. The unpredictable nature of the style suits your speed and agility.” Peter took the offered hand and was pulled upright.

“Are you-are you going to keep teaching me?” Peter sheepishly asked. “I mean you’re a master martial artist so…”

“Sorry, little spider,” Ms. Romanoff looked at him with regret, “this is a one-time thing. I’m not exactly free to roam around.”

“O-oh yeah, yeah.”

“But then again, we’ll see. Before I forget, I saw the Roomba. I like it! Good job and thanks.” She smirked then reached for something in her side satchel. “By the way, here.” Peter caught the small bag she threw his way. “Your old man asked me to give it to you.”

“He-he’s not my-” Peter stopped when he opened the bag and saw his new web shooters. The new shooters looked like small chips but it would expand to cover his wrists. It’s lightweight as well as quick and easy to equip. “Yes! Thank you Ms.-” He looked up but Ms. Romanoff was nowhere to be found.

“Karen, it wasn’t a dream, right?”

“No it’s not, Peter.” Karen said, clearly amused with his question.

“Did you get all that?”

“Yep, already filed the video as per the Baby Monitor protocol.”

Usually, the protocol’s lame name made him groan but at that time, he was just so happy he got evidence that he sparred with THE Black Widow.

“Oh my god! Ned would totally freak out when he finds out! I have a video of me fighting Ms. Black Widow! And, she likes the Roomba! This is the greatest day, ever!” Peter quickly removed his damaged web shooters and replaced them with the new ones. “Nice! Karen, please send a message to Mr. Stark that I got the new shooters and I’m gonna test it.”

“Sure thing, Peter.”

“Oh and download videos of Taekwondo and Capoeira moves.” He said as he jumped off the building to swing back home. Karen suggested that it’s better to ask Mr. Stark to get him a trained instructor than to follow YouTube videos but Peter was adamant that, this time, he would learn on his own. He wanted to surprise Mr. Stark.

**Author's Note:**

> According to the [Avengers: Infinity War Prelude](https://www.marvel.com/comics/series/23909/marvels_avengers_infinity_war_prelude_2018), Nat asked Steve, “Sure you don’t want to call Tony in on this, Steve?” That meant she asked him at least once. Steve answered, “I’m sure he’s got enough on his plate.”
> 
> For an analysis of Black Widow’s fighting style, click [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COFN_AMwLP4).
> 
> For an analysis of Spider-man’s fighting style (or rather his potential) based on the Civil War airport fight, click [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvdrDib_Rv4). This is where I got the inspiration for Nat suggesting Taekwondo.
> 
> As for Nat’s suggestion to learn Capoeira, that was inspired by [this analysis](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSo15ekYEM4) of Spider-man’s fighting style in the newest PS4 game.
> 
> Here are two of the videos where I got the different moves, you know, just in case you want to see how it looks: [Taekwondo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lV4Sf3sSCOY) and [Sambo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF8-pqEmcu0).


End file.
